Ruwiyati slumps to second defeat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): National champion Ruwiyati of Central Java had
\nto eat humble pie again after being outpaced by her hometown
\nrival Hanny Melon, this time in the women's 10,000m, on the third
\nday of the Indonesia Open Track and Field Championships at the
\nSenayan Madya stadium yesterday.<\/p>\n
One day before, Melon recorded 16 minutes 55.30 to beat
\nRuwiyati in the women's 5,000m by a difference of one hundredth
\nof a second. Yesterday the difference got bigger. Melon clocked
\n35 minutes 49.53 seconds, Ruwiyati 36:09.63.<\/p>\n
\"About 10 times she trampled on my heels from behind. That was
\npainful and made me feel shaky,\" the diminutive Ruwiyati told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"This is unusual,\" noted Ruwiyati's coach, Alwi. \"During home
\ntraining, she usually clocks around 34 at best and around 35 at
\nworst.\"<\/p>\n
\"I am very, very disappointed,\" Ruwiyati said. She admitted
\nthat Melon has the speed which she lacks. \"She had the advantage
\nof being right behind me. She could closely watch my moves and
\nrun past me at the right moment,\" 17-year-old Ruwiyati said.<\/p>\n
Melon, on the other hand, proudly said, \"I am the number one.
\nAnd this is the first time I have taken part in an international
\nevent.\"<\/p>\n
However, the country's best long distance runners can be said
\nto have no chance of competing at the Dec. 9 to Dec. 17 Southeast
\nAsian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.<\/p>\n
\"My name has been marked off of the centralized training
\ncenter list because I have refused to train in this stadium,\"
\nMelon said. The 16-year-old prefers to train in her hometown
\nSalatiga because it is cooler than Jakarta. \"I don't like this
\nstadium (Senayan Madya). I don't care if I'm not included in the
\nSEA Games team. What is important for me is that I am the best in
\nIndonesia.\"<\/p>\n
Ruwiyati is also excluded from the centralized training
\ncenter. \"They (officials of the Indonesian Track and Field
\nAssociation) say she is too small and hypothesize that she does
\nnot grow well because of overtraining,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
\"This is of course unfair. Her parents are also short and
\nsmall. How can they expect her to grow taller and bigger?\" Alwi
\nsaid. He added that Ruwiyati came from a farming family in a poor
\nvillage in Salatiga. \"Ruwiyati's parents hope Ruwiyati can help
\nthem financially. The decision to exclude her from the national
\nteam diminishes the hope,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
Thailand yesterday stole the limelight by beating Indonesia in
\nthe women's 4x400m relay. Thailand's team clocked 3 minutes 44.39
\nseconds, far better than the East Java team which ran 4 minutes
\n0.14 seconds. (arf)<\/p>",
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